Snapper WCT Trials To Include More Locals

– Championship Tour Event Trials To Involve More Gold Coast and Queensland Surfers Than Ever Before

– More at WorldSurfLeague.com

(Coolangatta, QLD/AUS – Friday, February 1, 2019) – Stop No.1 of the 2019 World Surf League Men’s and Women’s Championship Tour, The Quiksilver and Boost Mobile Pro’s on the Gold Coast will incorporate a local connection like never before with the inclusion of more Queensland and Australian surfers in the event trials.

For the first time in the event’s history, the trials will comprise a minimum of 9 from 16 Men and 7 from 12 women being Gold Coast or Queensland surfers. The selection will include a mixture of Queensland state champions, local boardriders club competitors, highly ranked Queenslanders from the Qualifying Series in 2019 along with Regional QS and JQS winners from 2018. The Trials will eventually gift one male and one female a spot into the main event.

“Engaging with local surfers in the areas we run events is extremely important to the WSL,” said General Manager World Surf League Australia / Oceania Andrew Stark.

We see opportunities like this as a way to give back to to the communities that share their waves. This reconfiguration of the trials on the Gold Coast is an awesome way to involve the local surfers and shine a light on the talent pool in that area, particularly in a place like Queensland which is well regarded for perpetually producing world class surfers.”

“Surfing Queensland has worked hard to bolster the Championship Tour trials event with an increased quantity of local surfers,” said Surfing Queensland CEO Adam Yates.

It’s been great to work closely with the WSL and our other event partners to build this new look trials draw and we’re thrilled that there will be more opportunities than ever for our Queenslanders to compete on the world stage.”

The reconfiguration will ensure that the state of Queensland and the Gold Coast is well represented at this year’s event, especially after the recent retirement of surf stars like Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Bede Durbidge and Josh Kerr.

1978 World Surfing Champion, Gold Coast legend and Snapper Rocks local Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew is thrilled to see a greater involvement of local surfers at this year’s Championship Tour event. He believes the inclusion of not only the Queensland Championship Circuit winner’s but also members of the Snapper Rocks Surfboard Club, Kirra Boardriders and D-Bah Boardriders will help inspire the future generations of Queensland surfers.

“This revamped trials creates a phenomenal opportunity for local surfers from Kirra, Snapper Rocks and D-Bah to have a shot at gold,” Bartholomew said. “Cooly has developed so many world class surfers and to have a legitimate homegrown trials offers a potential pathway to glory for the qualifiers. With local legends Mick Fanning, Joel Parkinson, Bede Durbidge and Josh Kerr retired from the CT, this could be the defining moment when new stars emerge to represent a town that has produced more World Champions then anywhere on earth.”

Mick Fanning. Image: WSL /Ed Sloane

Surfing Queensland CEO Adam Yates said. “We wholeheartedly support the WSL for this new look trials draw and we’re thrilled that there will be more opportunities than ever for our Queenslanders to compete on the world stage.”

The Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast and Boost Mobile Women’s Pro Gold Coast Trials will run on April 2, 2019, and will comprise of 16 Men and 12 women. Head to www.worldsurfleague.comfor more information or check the Free WSL App. The main event will then run from April 3 – 13 and open the 2019 WSL Championship Tour.

The World Surf League (WSL) is dedicated to celebrating the world’s best surfing on the world’s best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The organization, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a global sport with regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe.

The WSL has been championing the world’s best surfing since 1976, annually running more than 180 global events across the Men’s and Women’s Championship Tours, the Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport’s rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels, and in doing so crowns the undisputed Men’s and Women’s World Champions across all tours.

Showcasing the world’s best surfing on its digital platform at WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL has a passionate global fan base with millions tuning in to see world-class athletes like Kelly Slater, Stephanie Gilmore, Tyler Wright, John Florence, Lakey Peterson, Paige Alms, Kai Lenny, Carissa Moore, Gabriel Medina, Courtney Conlogue, Mateus Herdy, Kirra Pinkerton, Steve Sawyer, Soleil Errico and more battle on the most dynamic field of play of any global sport.